Team

Olena Makarenko photo

Olena Makarenko

Video Reporter

Olena Makarenko is a Kyiv-based journalist and documentary filmmaker. Since November 2015, Olena has been covering the events in Ukraine for foreign audiences. She has authored two short documentaries: “The Court” (2018) about establishing the Anti-Corruption Court in Ukraine and “Life-Long City” about an activist in Kryvyi Rih.

Articles

Children's theater goes underground in Kharkiv

by Olena Makarenko
In the heart of Kharkiv, Kharkiv Theater for Children and Youth performs in bomb shelters under constant threats of Russian attacks. The Kyiv Independent visited one of the theater's performances in late June to meet the dedicated actors and their no less dedicated audience.

How old is Ukraine?

On Aug. 24, 2023, Ukraine marked its 32nd Independence Day. But is Ukraine really just 32 years old? The Kyiv Independent addressed this question to historians. Everything you didn’t know about Ukraine’s flagAt a small exhibit at the National History Museum in Kyiv on Ukraine’s flag, one notices something particular about the flags from the Soviet times and early days of independence: they’re homemade — sewn by hand with different fabrics of slightly different blues and yellows, the result of a

The Kyiv Independent: Opinion. What the West got wrong about Ukraine (VIDEO)

Our video reporter Iryna Matviyishyn speaks about some of the common misconceptions about Ukraine that are spread by Russian propaganda. We launched "Ukraine's True History," a series to explain Ukraine’s past and present without distortions. The first episode debunks the 10 most common misconceptions about Ukrainian history. Watch it on our YouTube and read the article here.

The Kyiv Independent: Opinion. Why it is important to conduct journalistic investigations during war (VIDEO)

Kyiv Independent's Head of Investigations, Anna Myroniuk led an investigation highlighting the alleged misconduct in the International Legion, which won a European Press Prize this year. Read the second part of this investigation here. To support Anna's in-depth journalism that exposes war crimes, corruption and abuse of power in Ukraine and beyond, subscribe to our investigative newsletter.